How Long Should a Cozy Mystery Be?

Average Cozy Mystery Word Counts

The average cozy mystery novel is 50,000 to 100,000 words, but books can have more or fewer words. Many large publishers, small presses, and literary agents ask cozy mystery writers to aim for 70,000 words.

If a cozy mystery is under 50,000 words, some publishers, readers, and reviewers might classify it as a novella, novelette, or short story.

Cozy Mystery Word Counts by Book Type

Here are typical word counts for cozy mystery books:

• Cozy mystery flash fiction: 1,000 words or less

• Cozy mystery short stories: 1,000 to 10,000 words

• Cozy novelette: 10,000 to 20,000 words

• Cozy novella: 20,000 to 50,000 words

• Cozy novel: 50,000 to 100,000 words

Note: These word counts are not concrete. You can find cozy mystery novels that are under 50,000 words. Some examples include books in Rosie A. Point's Bite-Sized Bakery Mystery Series, which are marketed as two-hour pocket reads.

Choosing a Word Count for Your Cozy Mystery

If you plan to pursue independent publishing (i.e., self-publish your book), look at books that may be comparable to yours to determine a target word count for your cozy mystery story.

If you plan to pursue traditional publishing, check the submission guidelines for the cozy mystery publishers you are interested in working with to see their target word counts (if any). You can also research the cozy mysteries in their catalog and aim for a similar word count.

Cozy Mystery Audiobook Length

Cozy mystery audiobooks are usually five to ten hours long, with six to eight hours being the most common length. However, some books are longer, and others are shorter. For example, it is possible to find short, lighthearted audio mysteries designed for commuters.

You can also find several mysteries, including mysteries written by M.C. Beaton and Dorothy Sayers that have been turned into BBC Radio Plays. These plays are adaptations of the original stories and are often much shorter than the originals.